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A Fractional CMO’s Guide to Auditing Your Marketing Tech Stack

How to assess your martech for efficiency and growth potential.

Modern businesses rely on marketing technology or “martech” to drive growth and efficiency. But without regular audits, a marketing tech stack can quickly become bloated, costly, and ineffective.

This is where a fractional CMO can make a big difference. A fractional CMO is a part-time executive who brings expertise to optimize marketing strategies, including conducting tech stack audits. Their outside perspective can help ensure your tools align with strategic objectives and deliver measurable ROI. 

At Crisp, we integrate tech stack audits into our client onboarding process to set the foundation for their broader marketing strategy. In this guide, we’ll outline actionable steps for auditing your marketing tech stack, based on our proven approach.

Why should you audit your marketing tech stack?

Outdated tools can waste resources and inhibit growth. For instance, an inefficient CRM can result in missed leads and lost opportunities. The right tools, however, streamline workflows, improve collaboration, and increase ROI.

Financially, the impact is clear. Eliminating redundant tools reduces expenses, freeing up resources for growth. If your team uses multiple analytics platforms but relies on just one, consolidating tools could save you thousands of dollars annually.

How to conduct a marketing tech stack audit

Step 1: Take inventory

Start by listing every tool your team uses in their day-to-day marketing functions. For each one, take note of its:

  • Name: What is it called?
  • Purpose: What does it do for your business or marketing?
  • Cost: How much does it cost?
  • Usage: Who uses it and how often?
  • Overlap: Are you using tools with similar functions that may be redundant?

Step 2: Assess effectiveness

Review your inventory to evaluate each tool’s performance. Ask:

  • Is it delivering measurable results?
  • Does it integrate well with other tools?
  • Are you using its features fully, or paying for unused extras?

Based on this exercise, if there are any tools that you can’t justify the cost of, you can probably let them go.

Step 3: Align tools with business goals

Every tool should directly support your business objectives. Here are some examples:

Here, it’s important to focus on tools that drive long-term value rather than those that provide short-term fixes.

Step 4: Optimize costs

Auditing often reveals opportunities to cut costs without losing functionality. Here are some steps you can take:

  • Cancel tools that no longer add value.
  • Check how many “seats” or user accounts you’re paying for and consolidate logins where possible. 
  • Consolidate functions with multi-purpose platforms.
  • Negotiate better pricing with vendors.

In the long run, simple adjustments like these can lead to big cost savings.

Step 5: Create a maintenance plan

Your tech stack isn’t “set it and forget it.” Keep it running smoothly by:

  • Conducting audits every six to twelve months.
  • Training your team to use tools effectively.
  • Staying informed about new tools that could offer better solutions.

We can lead these efforts to ensure your marketing tech stack evolves with your business needs. Book a call with us to start the conversation. 

How we can help

As a team of fractional marketers, we bring deep marketing expertise as well as an outside perspective to streamline your marketing tech stack. Here’s what we offer:

  • Broad knowledge: Our team has a diverse perspective and insights from working with clients across a range of industries.
  • Objective evaluations: No internal biases or attachment to legacy systems.
  • Strategic execution: We can recommend quick, impactful improvements as well as setting you up for long-term growth and success.

Auditing your tech stack is essential for cutting costs, improving efficiency, and driving growth. With our guidance, you can ensure that your marketing tools align with your goals and deliver lasting value.

Ready to optimize your marketing tech stack? Let’s connect!